Friday, 29 April 2011

BAAF launched its very first Twitter Chat last night, which focused on adoption. Read on below for a transcript of the chat, which included help and advice from a BAAF expert, plus adoptive and prospective adoptive parents. Most recent tweets appear first.

bizzylizzyme@spursblogger DS friend-a careleaver, just dropped out of 6th form. School told me he'd failed *them*. I nearly took a pop!#adoptfosterchat

Thursday, 21 April 2011

Alexandra talks about how she ran the London Marathon to raise funds for adoption and fostering.

The first impression was of slight anti-climax. I’d been building towards this moment for the last nine weeks and when the gun went off, nothing happened. Twenty-five minutes later I reached the start line and the crowd broke into a run. The first few miles had a religious flavour, a Catholic priest standing on the kerbside murmuring blessings and scattering droplets of holy water, a mile or so further on a more evangelical, louder group hurling ladlefuls of holy water across the runners, who at that point included a couple as Adam and Eve.

Everybody said ‘the crowd’ll get you round’, and I hadn’t really understood just what that meant, but they did. I had also been told how important it was to put my name on my shirt, so I did. It meant that every couple of minutes somebody called out ‘Come on Alexandra’, and I had to look to see who it was and smile at them, so I ended up smiling most of the way round. My husband spent the day dashing around London in order to pop up at as many places as possible, giving me a great boost every time I spotted him.

As well as the spectators, the other runners provided a distraction from the actual business of running. Is it just London? I can’t imagine there are many other countries where you would see two men dressed as a double-decker bus overtaking a girl dressed as a testicle.

Just before half-way I ran past the group of BAAF supporters, giving another boost to the spirits. It didn’t click until I was about a mile past them that the almost-teenager standing with her mother in that group was a child in whose case I’d been involved several years ago. There was a story standing there, two people whose lives are happier because of adoption, and there are hundreds of others out there who I don’t know and will never meet, but who have been touched, directly or indirectly, by the work BAAF does. That realisation had me welling up again (hold on, it’s a hot day, can’t afford to dehydrate!) and pushed me on into Docklands.

The route went into a tunnel at Blackfriars, where spectators weren’t allowed, and the withdrawal of support, plus the uphill slope out of the tunnel, had an impact. I slowed to a walk out of the tunnel, but then spotted my husband again, watching out for me on the Embankment. I didn’t want him to see me walking and persuaded my legs to start running again.

Round the front of BuckinghamPalace and I could see the finish line, I was actually going to have run a marathon. Never thought I would, didn’t think I could, but I did, I really did. I have an odd expression in the finisher’s photo, my face hasn’t made up its mind whether to laugh or burst into tears. It was a hugely emotional day, and despite what the photos might suggest, I loved every minute. I’ll be applying for another go next year as soon as the ballot opens.

Tuesday, 12 April 2011

BAAF, together with several other organisations including Adoption UK and PACT, have sent out a press statement regarding the issues raised in the BBC documentary ‘A Home For Maisie’ that was aired last night. To read the statement please go to: www.baaf.org.uk/node/3356

(C) BBC/Les Wilson

If you missed the documentary and would like to see it, it can be found on BBC iPlayer: http://bbc.in/gxflYK

If you'd like to hear other people's views on the documentary, read on below for a roundup of the Twitter chat. Don't forget to add your own comments!

@meggojerry
Met this couple a few years back - they are amazing. #ahomeformaisie

@drivingequality
RT @waveyjane: Just finished watching #AHomeforMaisie on #BBC, and just finished crying...

@drivingequality

RT @RuthStivey: one day I hope to have a house full of kids like that #AHomeforMaisie ....me too!!

@drivingequality

@PACTCHARITY Thanks for the RT #ahomeformaisie

@findaloo

Of course I cried. Of course. #ahomeformaisie

@UNICORN_Kirsty

#ahomeformaisie Humbled and inspired by the amazing people on this show

@vburbridge

Just watched a brilliant programme #ahomeformaisie - the world's a much better place for lovely people like them

@Psyclyst A

It rounded up a day of thinking about people who find it hard to hope #ahomeformaisie #attachment

@Henriettabond

If u were amazed by adopters in #HomeforMaisie then maybe try 'If you don't stick with me who will?' which I compiled for @BAAFAdoption

Monday, 11 April 2011

Adoptive mum Junice looks back 14 years and tells us about the day she welcomed Jacob into her family.

Jacob was only eight months old when I adopted him. I remember going to the foster carer’s house for my first introduction meeting. Jacob was so small. He sat happily on my lap and played with my car keys and an empty pack of tic-tacs - it’s funny the things that you remember.

That Friday afternoon when I first met my son and when he first smiled at me, I was amazed because he had dimples like me and the rest of my family. Having him sat on my lap felt so right. He didn’t fuss or cry - just sat happily, with my keys, his little afro and smiled. I became a parent on that day.

Bringing Jacob home was a bit of a shock. Most new mothers have nine months to prepare for parenthood – I had a few days. After spending four days visiting Jacob, I spent that last Thursday evening as a single person preparing his nursery and for motherhood.

I brought Jacob home on a Friday; a day we still celebrate 14 years later - our “Home Coming Day”.

In the first month I didn’t get dressed before midday. I didn’t know that one small person could have so much stuff and I had to buy more stuff that I had forgotten like a highchair and baby bath. Years later I look back and wished I had tried more - used real nappies and had taken more photos. I am so thankful for a baby that slept through the night; a happy child, and family and friends that embraced him without question or doubt.

Now he is almost 14 years old, he does not need me in the same way, but I still treat him as my baby ....... most of the time! I still make his packed lunch for school, make his bed and run his bath. I could go on - I take my duties as a parent very seriously! I have ensured that Jacob is cherished and feels extraordinary - because he is. He has made our family what it is today – an amazing unit that fits perfectly into our extended family.

For more personal accounts of adoption, check out the 'Our Story' collection in BAAF's bookshop.

Thursday, 7 April 2011

Today, Patricia McGinty talks to us about her role as Child Placement Consultant for BAAF’s Be My Parent newspaper and website. She is part of the team that finds adoption and long term fostering families for children in care.

There is no typical week within Be My Parent, but we do work on a monthly cycle around the production of the newspaper. For two weeks of every month I work on approving the children’s profiles, the written descriptions that you can see online and in the newspapers. Many of these children will have sadly had some difficult early experiences which may include abuse or neglect or just circumstances where a parent is unable to care for their child. I work closely with our editorial team and the children’s social workers to make sure profiles are reflective of good social work practice and maximise the child’s chances of finding an adoptive or permanent foster family.

When profiles come to Be My Parent, we make sure they are easy to read with sufficient detail to help prospective families to make appropriate enquiries. We encourage agencies to use our online service, where there is space for longer profiles and the opportunity to include additional photos and film clips to help present a more rounded image of the child’s personality and needs. The film clips really help to bring the children’s profiles to life, offering a clearer image of what the child is like—something especially valuable for children with complex needs, such as a disability.

During National Adoption Week I work with local authorities and our press office to profile children needing adoption in the mainstream media. It’s a wonderful opportunity for us to explore a new pool of prospective families for children who have been waiting a long time for an adoptive family. In the past this has included The Sun newspaper, and TV programmes such as This Morning and GMTV. Because working with the mainstream media involves more public exposure, a lot of work is involved to ensure that the children and their birth relatives are appropriately prepared. In National Adoption Week 2010 we featured 14 children, all of which received enquiries, and potential families are being considered for four of them.

I also provide information and advice to families interested in adoption and fostering. Sometimes families come to me distressed because they‘ve waited a long time for a potential match with a child that may have fallen through. A couple of weeks ago I received a telephone call from an adoptive family who told me I had encouraged them not to give up at an Adoption Exchange Day two years ago, where they were frustrated after two years of waiting. They phoned to share their wonderful news that they’d been matched with a child. Knowing they’d persevered to make a positive difference to a child’s life following my advice made my week!

I’m very proud of the service we provide. 2500 prospective adoptive and permanent foster families currently subscribe to Be My Parent. Last year, 120 children were placed with permanent families though the Be My Parent service, and of the 800 children referred to us, 97% received enquiries from prospective adoptive and permanent foster families. When one of us receives news that a child has been placed with a family the whole team celebrates. That’s the main reward – knowing that all the hard work and commitment and that goes into getting the child’s profile right or supporting a family can result in making a positive and lifelong difference to so many lives.

Patricia is currently involved with our See the Difference page, where the public can help fund Be My Parent's phone service for prospective parents. Be sure to visit to see our See the Difference video today.

Monday, 4 April 2011

In case you weren’t already familiar with it, we have our very own Facebook page where you can keep up to date with our latest news and events, chat with other adoption enthusiasts, and laugh at our quiz night photos (well, they do take place in the pub!).

To celebrate the success of the page we’re running a competition to give away a bundle of books, which should keep you entertained until the weather’s a bit warmer. Titles in the giveaway include:

All you have to do to be in with a chance of landing in literary heaven is head to our Facebook page and ‘like’ us. You will be entered into a prize draw and a winner will be chosen at random on Tuesday, April 12. Simple!